Characteristics of ferroelectric-ferroelastic domains in Néel-type skyrmion host GaV(4)S(8).
Characteristics of ferroelectric-ferroelastic domains in Néel-type skyrmion host GaV(4)S(8).
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DOI：
10.1038/srep44663
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发表时间：
2017-03-15
影响因子：
4.6
通讯作者：
Eng LM
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Butykai Á;Bordács S;Kézsmárki I;Tsurkan V;Loidl A;Döring J;Neuber E;Milde P;Kehr SC;Eng LM
GaV 4S 8是一种多铁性半导体，拥有被电极化修饰的Néel型磁skyrmions。在Ts = 42 K时，该化合物经历了弱一级结构相变，从高温下的非中心对称立方相到低温下的极性菱面体结构。在Ts以下，形成铁电畴，其中电极化沿着四个铁电畴111的轴中的任何一个指向。虽然在这种材料中，铁电-铁弹畴的大小和形状可能是在TC = 13 K以下出现的Néel型skyrmion晶格形成的重要限制因素，但GaV 4S 8中极性畴的特性尚未研究。在这里，我们报告使用低温piezoresponse力显微镜检查菱形GaV 4S 8中的局部尺度铁电畴分布。我们观察到机械和电学兼容的层状畴图案，其中层状畴平行于（100）型平面排列，典型间距在100 nm-1.2 μm之间。由于磁性图案，原子力显微镜使用磁性涂层尖端成像，突然改变域边界，我们预计，在极性skyrmion主机的铁电畴尺寸的控制可以利用空间限制和操纵的Néel型skyrmion。
GaV4S8 is a multiferroic semiconductor hosting Néel-type magnetic skyrmions dressed with electric polarization. At Ts = 42 K, the compound undergoes a structural phase transition of weakly first-order, from a non-centrosymmetric cubic phase at high temperatures to a polar rhombohedral structure at low temperatures. Below Ts, ferroelectric domains are formed with the electric polarization pointing along any of the four 〈111〉 axes. Although in this material the size and the shape of the ferroelectric-ferroelastic domains may act as important limiting factors in the formation of the Néel-type skyrmion lattice emerging below TC = 13 K, the characteristics of polar domains in GaV4S8 have not been studied yet. Here, we report on the inspection of the local-scale ferroelectric domain distribution in rhombohedral GaV4S8 using low-temperature piezoresponse force microscopy. We observed mechanically and electrically compatible lamellar domain patterns, where the lamellae are aligned parallel to the (100)-type planes with a typical spacing between 100 nm–1.2 μm. Since the magnetic pattern, imaged by atomic force microscopy using a magnetically coated tip, abruptly changes at the domain boundaries, we expect that the control of ferroelectric domain size in polar skyrmion hosts can be exploited for the spatial confinement and manipulation of Néel-type skyrmions.